Dark Labyrinth
by wilkins1
Summary: He looked back at Sarah and lovingly stroked the side of the coffin."I'll bring you back. I'll bring you back and kill Majeel. I promise."Jareth said. He knew time was running out. Soon his nephew Majeel would find him. Update: People are freaking over J/S situation, HINT: It's not what it seems, don't act like you don't know Jareth.
1. Chapter 1

UPDATE: SOOO people like are totally freaking over the situation with Jareth and Sarah. It's not what it seems. Repeat after me, it's NOT what it seems. I've tried to create a story that is a bit different than the other fanfictions out there. I'll go a little more traditional later.

It's not what it seems...

Jareth struggled keep his focus; sweat was running down his face. He was pushing against the outer border of the Labyrinth, closing the link between the Underground and Aboveground. The portal between both worlds could not be destroyed; it changed from an invisible wall to light steeping into his amulet. The amulet was getting hotter and burning his skin around his neck. _I must keep going_ , though Jareth. It felt like holding up a wall bound to crush him instead of using magic to put the portal in a secret place. He knew time was running out. Soon his nephew Majeel would find him. Soon Majeel would finish him off. Jareth could hear the magic of the Labyrinth whispering. He was its king still if for only a few more hours; only he could hear the whispering. Its voice snaked into and out of his mind, soft and airy. It was asking for a bigger vessel. The amulet was not big enough to hold the magic to travel between the worlds. The pathway surrounded the northern half of the kingdom. An small necklace was not enough.

Jareth suspected it would ask for this. So, he walked to the other side of the pathway to the vessel he chose months ago. The Labyrinth magic knew what he wanted and took him straight to where he needed to be. The sky of the Labyrinth faded dark and he stepped into a bedroom. The lights were out, but he could see just fine. He looked at his chosen vessel; her eyes moving behind her eyelids in deep sleep. He slowly, painfully walked to her. His pride wouldn't allow him to bend over in pain. His face was pale and his mismatched eyes were becoming dull as his heart started beating at odd intervals. _If only I were younger,_ he thought. _Maybe I could have won. But for now, I must put my last remaining hope in her._

He took off his amulet. It's crescent moon shape was still white hot, but as Jareth changed his vision to using the girl as the vessel, the magic responded to Jareth's answer and the amulet melted and evaporated into a white cloud. Jareth brought the amulet close to the girl's mouth and as she took a deep inhale of breath the white cloud, the magic that linked the worlds together filled her lungs. It rushed into her blood, her bones, her mind and her heart. Jareth smiled sadly and as the magic was filling her body, he turned and slowly exited the Aboveground for the last time.

Once he was on the other side, a moment later the deed was complete. The link was severed. Only one person can open the close the portal. And she was safely tucked away with Jareth being the only one to know where she is. Jareth collapsed onto the hard earth. He had spent almost all his strength trying to save his Labyrinth. He finally allowed himself to grieve for his family and his kingdom. His precious wife, Sarah, had passed away from age years ago. His son Seraphim was imprisoned somewhere deep in the Labyrinth with spells so powerful Jareth would have to work months to unravel them. But he did not have months before Majeel successfully killed him. And he, the king of the Labyrinth, knew that the war between him and his nephew Majeel was coming to an end. He knew that he was not going to be the one left standing at the end of the day.

"Clever of you , Uncle. You shielded yourself from me long enough to do whatever it is you were doing," a dark, silky voice said from behind Jareth. Majeel had his arms folded and walked to the side of Jareth. He bent at the waist to look at his uncle, his black hair similar in length to Jareth's style falling into his eyes. "You look terrible. What did you do? Hopefully nothing to destroy the Labyrinth. I'm the next king, you know. I'm so sorry about all that's happened between us. You do understand it's nothing personal. I just had to make sure that….no one….got in my way."

Jareth raised himself up in a half sitting, half lying down position on his elbows. He still was trying to look as casual as possible. "Majeel, I've really enjoyed our time together. Nothing is better than your nephew trying to kill you, overthrow your government, and getting the most powerful mages to imprison your son. It's been really…" Jareth paused looking up trying to find the right word and then smirked, "fun."

"Fun? Is that the best word you could come up with?" Majeel snorted. "You're losing your touch."

Jareth, knowing the Majeel didn't know what he did started laughing. His laughter turned into a maniac cackle as he thought more and more about how he got away with closing the link between the Underground and Aboveground.

"And your mind, it seems." Majeel gently shook his head and quietly chuckled.

Jareth started to stand up, the laughter subsiding. "Well, it doesn't seem like your idea of _expanding_ the kingdom you plan to steal is going to work," He said.

Majeel's look of amusement faded. "What do you mean?" The whites of Majeel's eyes turned as black as his hair. The air around them turned an odd dark purple hue.

"You won't be finishing your deranged father's work," Jareth grinned. He may have been losing power as he aged, but he was still enjoying having the upper hand. Majeel at once understood what his uncle was saying. His nostrils flared and he unfolded his arms. He turned and tried to activate the portal, but there was nothing to respond to his call. It was gone. Majeel turned and faster than any human, he grabbed Jareth by the throat and slammed him into the ground. The impact stirred up dust and the ground was dented where Jareth's body hit it.

" _What have you done?!_ " Demanded Majeel. Jareth laughed, choking on his blood as it ran down his nose. " _Tell me!"_ Jareth was weakly coughing up blood and gasping for air. Majeel balled his free hand into a fist and plunged it into Jareth's chest, grabbing his heart. Jareth was still smiling. He wouldn't go down whimpering. He spent the last of his power. Majeel squeezed and tore out Jareth's heart. He threw it on the ground and stood up, fuming and screaming,

" _What have you done!"_


	2. Chapter 2

Raelinn woked up sweating. She still felt ill. She remembered a faint memory of a dream of someone calling for her. It had been like this for two days. She called into work and laid in bed. Her bones were achy and she was burning up again. She felt so feverish that she would think her dreams are reality and vice versa. She thought she heard someone calling for her and she would see the back of a tall man with blonde spikey hair walking down her hallway. Then, when she would recall the memory, she forgot when she saw him and figured that she was dreaming. It was like her apartment was haunted and Raelinn was getting scared thinking about it. Just to be sure it was a dream, she had her old neighbor Helen come over to check. Helen was a kind, chatty old lady who took it upon herself to watch out for Raelinn. Helen made no notice or mention of hearing anything other than the occasional bump of the neighbors. She didn't see a man. She only saw dust in every nook and cranny. _Ok,_ Raelinn thought as she shifted in her bed, _if I'm not better by the end of the day today, I'll go see the doctor. I keep mixing dreams with reality._

Today early this morning, she still felt sick. She threw the sheets off her and swung her legs out to go to the bathroom. She turned on the light and squinted at its sudden harsh light. She blinked a few times and feeling nauseous hovered by the toilet. _Am I going to be sick?_ She wondered. She waited. When nothing happened she walked to the kitchen in the dark to get a cup of water.

When the cool water hit her throat, Raelinn started feeling less nauseous. Her olive skin was gaining a bit of color. She looked at the dark shape on her fridge that she was familiar with seeing every day. It was a banner with the title "Miss Fix It" that she put on her fridge. She had always been good at fixing things. This sickness, however, was making her crazy. For some reason she wasn't able to fix it. She had only turned on the light above the stove and knew her tiny kitchen well enough to put the cup away. As she turned to put her washed cup in its cupboard, she heard a male voice behind her.

"Hello Raelinn," he said.

His voice sounded amused, confident and familiar. Raelinn quickly turned her head around. She could see an outline of a tall male with spikey hair standing in the dining room, a few feet from the kitchen. She pressed herself against the fridge, gasping as if she were trying to get air in her lungs. She was sure she was awake this time. She fumbled her away to the light switch on the other side of the fridge. The light turned on and she saw the same man. But he wasn't so faded looking this time, as if she were dreaming. _He's real! He's broken into my apartment before! I'm so stupid! Was he drugging me so I would be so out of it?_

Raelinn was so horrified at her fears she started yelling "I'm calling the police! Help! Help!". She ran forward to grab a knife from the drawer. She quickly threw it at the man, watching as it lamely spun in the air unthreatening to anyone. The man didn't move. He watched the knife fly toward him and – _whoof!-_ blinked as it flew _through_ him.

Raelinn was grabbing another knife as she watched her first knife fly, but stopped for half a second when she saw the knife go through him as if…..as if…. _as if he were a ghost!_ She thought. Raelinn felt panicked. She grabbed another knife and threw it across the room again. Another knife. The man smirked, as if this amused him. He started walking toward her, his boots making no noise on the wooden floor.

 _What do I do? What do I do?_ Raelinn thought. As the man got closer she started shouting threats. "Help! Help! Don't come any closer! I'm warning you!"

"Your authorities can't do anything. I'm dead. Besides, you're the only one who can see me. So quite down! I can't have you locked away in a looney bin," the man said.

Raelinn paused, but only because she ran out of knives. She was feeling very faint with fever and grabbed a spoon and held it out threateningly. "Dead? What? Dead? No, don't come any closer!" As she spoke, she saw that the man seemed to flicker, as if he's a projection that's going in and out of focus. _Maybe I should go see the doctor._

"Who are you?! I don't have any money! Just….go….leave…." Raelinn was feeling even more faint now. Her knees buckled, but she held up. The man stopped. His expression turned odd. She saw that he had mismatched eyes and straight nose. The fan on the ceiling had been on all night. While Raelinn's baby hairs were softly tickled her forehead, his man's hair was not moving at all.

"I'm the ghost of Jareth. Jareth is dead. I'm just an after image. I was created to be of help if help is needed. I won't last long though, so you better get a move on," The man said. He didn't move. He just stood there. Waiting.

Raelinn was slowly calming down. If she were being honest with herself, she started calming down after she threw the first knife. Her heart and mind had two different thoughts when she first saw him. On one hand, she was panicking because someone broke into her apartment, if he were real. On the other, she had been seeing this man, she knew it. This was the man she's been seeing the past few days.

"I feel so sick", she whispered.

"Ah, yes. I'm sorry, I believe the magic is still settling into its new home," The man said, laughing.

Her head snapped up. "Excuse me?"

"Raelinn, I'm not going to hurt you," and as if to prove it, the man unfolded his arms showing his empty hands.

Someone knocked at the front door. The man stepped aside and held his hand out, giving Raelinn permission to answer. She ran to the door with the man at her heels. He stood right beside her as Raelinn opened the door.

"Raelinn! Are you alright? I heard some screaming! I've been watching the telly and I just about jumped out of my skin! Are you alright?" Her neighbor, Helen, asked looked worried.

"Y-y-yes, I….uh…." Raelinn glanced at the man, "This man….he…." She looked at Helen.

"What man, my dear child?" Helen asked looking around the apartment that was half shrouded in darkness.

Surely Helen could see him? The man was rolling a crystal ball on his arms and other tricks, all the while smirking. Raelinn started feeling very foolish. She bit her thumb and lamely replied, "This? Man?" Her voice was getting quieter. _Yup, I'm very sick. I'm seeing things._

Helen tsked and with motherly concern leaned forward to feel Raelinn's forehead. "Oh! You still have a fever, don't you? Well, get some rest. Did you have a bad dream? You said you saw a man yesterday, but as we can see –again- there's no one here. Please go to the doctor. Fevers should not last this long. I'll take you later today, ok? Around ten? Please ring if you need help. Ok darling? I'll be off then," Helen smiled, her kind face wrinkled up.

Raelinn, unsure of what else to do nodded her thanks and shut the door. She decided to just ignore the hallucination and his talking. She turned and sat at her old, rustic looking table. She rubbed her temples. She was feeling so ill, but restless. She closed her eyes for a second and then opened them. The blonde man was still standing there.

"Go away," she said.

"No."

"Why?" Raelinn closed her eyes again.

"I chose you. You are to be the one to step in and help if the need arises. I can't do anything anymore. I'm dead," the cool voice replied.

"I'm starting to not care if you're a ghost haunting me or a hallucination. I just…ugh, feel so sick!" Raelinn felt another big wave of nausea and put her head in her hands.

"Have you any chocolate or milk?" The man asked. Raelinn raised her head, her dark eyebrows shot up.

"What? Chocolate milk?"

"Even better! Drink some of that. It will help with the nausea," the man smiled and jutted his head up indicating that Raelinn is supposed to get up to get it. Raelinn scratched her head. Her hair was a mess. A dark, matted wavy bird's nest. And her hallucination, or ghost, was a very handsome looking one at that. She was feeling self conscious and had been the past few days she took off work. She started wearing pjs the moment she started having dreams/visions of seeing his man. Jareth, as he calls himself, was crossing his arms again looking impatient.

"Are you really a ghost?" She asked. "Why are you haunting me? And now of all times? I've lived here for six months."

"I'm not a ghost in the way you're thinking. Honestly, _humans_. I told you, I'm just an image. A ghost image, but I was programmed for lack of a better word to show myself if something went wrong in the plan." Jareth said. He was getting irritated and a dark look was coming on his face. He was becoming an intimidating ghost. Raelinn, unsure of what an angry ghost can do, slowly got up to go grab some chocolate milk.

Much to her relief, and annoyance ( _He's just gonna smirk because this worked,_ Raelinn thought dryly) she was starting to feel better. Less nauseous and her head was clearing from the haziness that the fever brings. "It worked!" she said.

"Yes, of course it would work. I knew that and that's why I told you to drink it," Jareth smirked. _Ugh! I knew it! He didn't even say "chocolate milk". That was my idea._ "My son figured out the best way to combat the effects magic has when fusing with a body. Good thing I knew the magic would accept you."

"Geez, the kid's a genius. How old is he?" Raelinn asked, wondering where this conversation was coming to. _I don't have to tell someone that their father regrets something and can't rest in peace until something is fixed now do I?_

"Looks about your age."

" _What?_ " Raelinn started. She put her glass of chocolate milk down. This Jareth guy couldn't have been older than 35. Unless he had a child when he was 10. Raelinn took a good look at Jareth face, leaning in a little bit. "Just how old are you? I think you're getting ages mixed up."

"Don't talk to me that way! I know exactly how old I am! And I know how old my son is. I'm a fae! We are glorious creatures who live longer than you humans! We look damn good as we do!" Jareth slammed his fist on the table. Of course, no sound was made which made Jareth more upset.

Raelinn threw her hands up in surrender. "Whoa! Sorry, I didn't mean to offend. I was just-did you say fae? I mean, I wasn't trying to imply that-you really did say fae didn't you? I mean, I know you were just trying to get help-yes, no, no you're going to have to back up. I'm still stuck on 'fae'. You're going to have to explain that one."

"Fine, but listen well because I'm not going to repeat myself. We don't have much time. My son is about to be killed and if that happens, your world is in trouble again," Jareth said and began his tale.

He told her about when he first met Sarah, his life after courting her over and over. He told her about his firstborn son, Seraphim, who would be king. He told her about Majeel, his nephew who is taking revenge for Jareth killing his father, who was Jareth's brother. Majeel killed Jareth and imprisoned his son. His plans were to take over the Labyrinth and to finish his father's work, Majeel planned to join forces with his allies and take over the Aboveground. When Jareth closed the portal, the only portal, between the Underground and Aboveground it disrupted Majeel's plans. Raelinn has the magic inside of her now so Majeel shouldn't been able to open the portal. But he's found a way to open it.

Once Jareth finished, Raelinn sniffed, tracing circles with her finger on the table. "You are aware how crazy this sounds right?"

"You are aware you're talking to a ghost right?" Jareth mocked his arched eyebrows raised.

"Yes," Raelinn quietly answered. She cleared her throat. "How am I supposed to help anyways? There's nothing I can do. I can't open up a portal, that's a forward step that takes you backwards. That would create chaos."

Jareth smirked, cocky now that he knew he was getting through. He stepped aside and gestured down the hallway with an outstretched hand. "Sometimes the way forward is the way back," he said.

"What are you talking about?" Raelinn stood up, wanting to see what was down the hallway he was gesturing at. She walked around the table. She looked questioningly at Jareth and then back to her hallway. "That's a hallway."

Jareth still smirking, but said in a sarcastic and irritated tone, "Don't get cheeky with me. You're lucky I can't touch you. What is my kingdom called?"

"The Labyrinth"

"What is it called?"

"The Labyrinth."

"What is it called?" It was Raelinn's turn to get irritated.

"The Labyrinth!"

"What is it called?"

"The Labyrinth!"

"Where is it?"

Without hesitation Raelinn saw it in her mind, she started walking forward and pointed ahead, "There!"

The effect was immediate. Raelinn took one more step and immediately felt the change as she stepped out of her apartment and into the Labyrinth.


	3. Chapter 3

Just for show, and to rub Jareth's death into the Labyrinth inhabitant's faces, Jareth's funeral was held four days after his "mysterious death". Majeel dressed the body himself.

"Good to see that you're really dead this time Uncle," Majeel said in a singsong voice. "Although knowing you, you found a way to still live. Like, haunting your wife's grave or some poor fool."

Majeel put a preservation spell on his uncle's body. He may be cruel, but since Jareth's body is mostly together, it'd be bad form if he left it to rot in the open. Especially since it would take years to rot. Once Jareth's body was dressed and ready, Majeel called for the queen's old advisor. "Hogbrain! Get in here! I need this body put in the right casket. I even added my own flowers! Isn't that nice?"

Hoggle limped his way into the room. He was getting older, now that his bond with Queen Sarah was severed. Advisors can make an agreement to serve the monarchs as long as the monarchs live, which means that advisors lives are extended if they don't live as long as the monarchs do. He grieved for his queen and even though he did not like his king most of the time, he grieved for his king. The year of fighting was taking its toll on his little body. He silently obeyed Majeel because he knew that there was no need for an answer. Pleased, Majeel smiled and walked out of the room.

He had already taken his place as king and would announce it the moment they lay Jareth's body in the ground. After he killed Jareth, he went to the center of the Labyrinth. Into the castle and down, deep in the Underground underneath the castle to the heart of the Labyrinth. He went into a room where only a round, wide column sat. It's height stopped at Majeel's waist, allowing him to look into the column and its contents. Water filled the column. It had a silvery hue to it and was constantly moving with little waves rolling back and forth.

Majeel stood near the column. He had quickly washed his hands of blood so his hands were clean. He stared at the water. _I am ready to become king!_ He thought. He was going to take over the Labyrinth and finish what his father started of taking over the human world and turning it into the Underground. _I know there's a way to go back to the Aboveground,_ Majeel though bitterly recalling how his Uncle shielded himself long enough to destroy it. _There's no way he could have destroyed it! He must have put it in his amulet. That was the only missing item on his body._

Majeel shook his head. His pointed face and red eyes became grim and determined. He looked at the water and said, "Accept me as your king!" He sank his right hand into the water slowly going deeper. If the Labyrinth did not accept him, he would be reaching his hand out and find nothing. The Labyrinth awoke and heard his call. It was angry at first for it was expecting another hand to reach out. This was not the firstborn it was looking for. The Labyrinth found the firstborn son locked away in a prison and was left to his madness. The Labyrinth saw that the firstborn will not be able to come. It saw Majeel's outstretched hand. Then it made its decision.

Majeel felt tentacles reach out and grab him, accepting him but allowed pain to shoot through him. The Labyrinth knew this ruler enjoyed pain. Majeel gasped with pain, but smiled knowing that he was now king of the Labyrinth.

Hundreds showed up for Jareth's funeral, located on the south outskirts of the maze. Everyone was wearing black, except Majeel wore black and red. His vest and pants were black and he wore a velvetly red undershirt and black velvet tie. He even wore a black top hat that seemed to have a slight black hue radiating from it, as if it were shining black light. He did not give a speech at the funeral. Right after the body was put down everyone was required to attend a banquet in celebration for a new ruler. Whispers filled the silence once the announcement was made.

"Isn't this a bit rude?"

"Well, everyone knows that Majeel had a hand in King Jareth's death."

"A banquet! What are we celebrating? Where is the prince?"

"The prince should be king! Oh, that handsome man!"

However, people were not going to turn down a feast at the Labryrinth to learn more about Jareth and his missing son Seraphim. Carriages of black wood pulled by black horses showed up to escort the multitude. The carriages went down a secret entrance that led straight to the castle. People were still feeling hesitate to attend the feast. Majeel persuaded the crowd that this is what Jareth wanted because he knew the next king would be a great ruler. Once everyone was in the castle and seated to eat, the feast began. Creatures that looked to be made of wood brought out the food. People were eating somberly and quietly talking. As people were eating, Majeel explained the reason he brought them all together to toast for the new ruler. Jareth of course expected his son to be next in line, but Majeel said, Seraphim is locked away in his madness. Majeel had paused for effect before announcing that Seraphim murdered his father because his father suspected his madness and denied him the crown. The shock rippled through the crowd. Whispers turned into shouts between people.

"Seraphim would never do that!"

"You're mad if you think we're going to believe that! Where is Seraphim?"

"I never liked the king anyways!"

They subsided when they saw Majeel dawning a crown on his head that a hooded figure had placed on his head. "The Labyrinth needs a new king. I will take over as king. Because of Seraphim's traitorous act, he will be imprisoned and put on trial to await if he will face execution." Majeel announced.

The ballroom was filled with many, many angry people at this point. Some people believed Majeel and became upset at Seraphim's supposed murder. Some people did not believe Majeel and took the side of both Seraphim and Jareth. Majeel was becoming angry. He did not expect this big of a reaction. He stepped back and motioned to a goblin guard. The guard pulled on a rope and a moment later tall dark creatures filed in through a door to put up a wall between Majeel and the crowd.

The creatures were tall, ugly with tough scaly skin. They looked a cross between orc and lizard. Their eyes were all black and some had coarse hair pulled back in ponytails. Others had no hair. The leader stepped forward. "Do not attack the king! Do not threatened to attack or we will retaliate!" He said in a deep rumbling voice that echoed off the walls. The crowd stopped shouting and advancing. They still murmured, but they started to take their leave. They saw how the situation was turned around so that even if the powerful were to advance, it would make them look as though they were threatening the new king's life. As the crowd dispersed out into carriages ready to take them back down the secret entrance, the Inja followed behind, ensuring that the crowd moves forward.

Half an hour later, after the ballroom was cleaned up and the leftover food was handed out to hungry inhabitants of the Labyrinth ( _At least I can get some gratitude and loyalty from somewhere,_ though Majeel) he stormed into the private library. A woman was bent over books littering a table. Her brown skin was freckled and she looked old and young at the same time. She should have been old, no, she should have been dead long ago. But she and her tribe dabbled in dark magic that twisted her six fingered hands and elongated spine so that she is not able to stand up fully. Her dreadlocks had beads and shrunken heads hanging from them.

" _Please_ tell me you have good news Ramerra, "Majeel said as he walked toward her.

"My liege, I do belief I have found something," Ramerra said with a sly smile, her mouth slightly open to reveal rotten black teeth.

"Good, I want to be able to go to the Aboveground. How can I get there?" Majeel asked.

"My liege, the son. He half a way. His farders was able to close it. They have same blood. His blood told it to close. His blood tell it to open," Ramerra replied gesturing in the air a door opening and closing. Majeel was used to her strange way of talking.

"So you're saying Seraphim can open the portal? Wherever his father hid the amulet, his son can open it?" Majeel reviewed to be sure they're on the same page.

Ramerra shook her head yes and opened a few books. As she did, little bones came tumbling out of the sleeves of her arms. "My liege, the books says. The books says yes. We make son open da portal. His blood make portal open."

"How can we force him to do it? I don't know if we can. He's hard to break. His parents are gone and the rest of his family betrayed him. There's nothing to bribe him with and he still does everything he can to defy me." Majeel took the bones ( _What does this woman do with her spare time? Eat snakes and shoves bones up her sleeves?_ Majeel thought) and threw them into the fire blazing at the fireplace behind them.

"My liege. Always a way. We finds ways." Ramerra was reading some more when a goblin came rushing in.

"Your Higness! I watched the spot where I was assigned to! Someone is here!" The goblin loudly announced. His mustache twitched in nervousness. Majeel stood waiting for more explanation. "A girl appeared! One minute she wasn't there, the next she just appeared! It's a human!"

Majeel waved his wrist and a mirror appeared in his hand. He looked at the spot he told the goblin to watch over. The spot where the gateway between the Underground and Aboveground used to be. Indeed, there was a girl. A young woman, in fact.

A young woman wearing Jareth's amulet.

Majeel smiled, his sharp teeth glinted in the fireplace's light.

"Well, hello there."


	4. Chapter 4

"You tricked me! Ah!" Raelinn faced the Labyrinth in awe. She turned around to go back to her apartment, to wake up from this dream. But all she saw when she turned around were fields of flowers and tall grasses. "I need to wake up!"

"You have woken up, dearie. You woke the magic inside of you. Magic I infused with your body. Thankfully, I did my research and found out that your grandmother was a changeling and you had the capacity to house the magic, but that is time for another discussion!" Jareth smiled and clapped his hands. This time, his gloved hands made noise.

"What? My grandmother was a changeling? This isn't funny anymore! I can't be here!" Raelinn was beginning to worry. She could feel the grass under her feet and smell the odd mix of wet stone and flowers. It was all too real. She spun around in circles, looking for a way out. She tried imagining her apartment, but she couldn't bring herself to want it badly enough the more she took in her surroundings. She looked at the Labyrinth. It was different looking than when Jareth was king. It seemed bigger now, large trees had randomly sprouted throughout and were towering over the maze, unknown birds were flying high, you could see in one section the walls were shifting, and the castle in the middle of the Labyrinth was bigger and more ominous looking than before. Jareth was running his hand through his hair and sighing.

"I hate to admit that I like this new look. When you're done fooling about, come here. I have something for you to wear", he said as he turned to face her.

"No, _you_ stop fooling about! I need to get home! Take me home!" Raelinn exclaimed.

"No. You agreed to help me. You were too easy to persuade," Jareth laughed.

Raelinn opened her mouth as if she were offended and crossed her arms. "I said no such thing!"

Jareth laughed again to mock her. He twisted his hand and a crystal appeared. He flicked it with his other hand and the crystal turned into white sand that blew away in the wind. What was left was an amulet hovering less than half an inch above his black glove. "Here wear this," he put his hand out so she could take it.

Raelinn looked at it. "How are you able to suddenly make noise with your hands and manipulate objects?" She asked with one raised eyebrow. She picked up the floating amulet and turned over the crescent moon shape in her hands.

"Oh so you noticed that? Good. You'll need those observation skills. Here in the Labyrinth I have more power to manipulate. I can even," He laid a heavy hand on her shoulder, "touch you now. You better stop angering me then."

Raelinn furrowed her eyebrows and shook off his hand. She was not going to show Jareth that she was unhappy with this new development. _He'll probably find a way to poke and prod me at every moment if he knew,_ she thought. She held up the amulet, "What is this? Protection?"

"An amulet of course. You typically wear it around your neck," Raelinn rolled her eyes at his sarcastic comment and pulled it over her head and let it hang around her neck. "I made a copy of mine because it's a family heirloom. This is the copy I wore when out to certain areas on other kingdoms. Couldn't have it stolen. Since my amulet is missing from my body because it fused with yours," Raelinn gave a horrified look at him when she heard that and Jareth just smiled and continued, "I'm sure that Majeel thinks I transferred the gateway between our worlds into the amulet." Raelinn remembered his story of how he transferred the gateway magic into her body, but to hear it said like _that_ was a little horri-

"Wait, Majeel will think this amulet has the magic? You can't make me wear this! He'll go ballistic! I'm taking it off," Raelinn tried to slip it over her head, but it wouldn't budge. It would suddenly become very tight when trying to get it past her chin. "Ughh! Nooooo! Are you trying to get _me_ killed too?" Jareth ignored her last question.

"Too easy," he chuckled. "You better smarten up if you're going to be of any help to us." He stopped laughing. "Remember, only you can see me. You should act like you don't know who I am. Keep up your cluelessness and you'll be safe." And with that he disappeared.

"Ughhh you…." Raelinn looked up in time to see Jareth looking behind her. She looked back briefly to see another man walking toward her. She turned back looking around to find that Jareth was gone. Her eye darted left and right. She whispered, "Jareth? _Jareth?_ "

"Hello there. What do we have here? A lost wonderer?" A voice asked. Raelinn turned around. The man was getting closer. He was tall with hair so black it looked blue sometimes. It was long and full, like a lion's mane. His face was ghostly pale and his red eyes bore into her. He smiled what was supposed to be a friendly smile, but instead it came off as seductive and cold. He wore all black except his "tie" was a dark black/blue beetle that may or may not have been real. It had a sheen to it that flickered a dark blue when he moved. "Were you talking to someone?" He asked.

"I was just muttering curses," Raelinn had no idea what else to say. She didn't know this man, but she had a _very_ strong suspicion who it was. She remembered Jareth's rude remark to keep acting clueless. "Can you tell me where I am? I'm afraid I have no idea."

Majeel nodded. "You are in my kingdom. This," He gestured toward the Labyrinth, "is my Labyrinth. I am king Majeel. And you are?"

"Raelinn. Oh, you're the king? Pardon me, Your Majesty," Raelinn shivered a bit and awkwardly bowed. This man was alluring and so very scary at the same time. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to be clueless on.

"Raelinn," Majeel tasted the name on his tongue. "I see that you're wearing something around your neck. Where did you get it?"

"I don't know. I was sleeping in my bed and woke up with it around my neck. I opened up my bedroom door and ended up here," Raelinn lied. "I can't seem to get it off either." To demonstrate, she tried pulling it up over her head. Majeel saw that the amulet's chain tighten before she could get it over her chin. He folded his arms and put one hand under his chin, his long fingers framing his face.

"That's a shame. I believe that amulet belongs to me. That's a crime to steal from the king you know. If you can't get it off, I can fix that for you," Raelinn looked up, hopeful. "But it would be such a shame to cut off that pretty little head of yours wouldn't it?" He titled his head slightly and smiled, showing sharp brilliantly white teeth.

Raelinn was sweating bullets at this point. _Okay, okay, I can fix this. I just need to figure out how to get out of this._ "We don't need to be so hasty, right? I can figure out how to take it off. I just need…I just need," Raelinn was wringing out her hands and shaking slightly. She looked to the side and at the Labyrinth. She thought of an idea. "Do you like playing games, Your Majesty?" She asked and immediately regretted asking. Majeel's eyes lit up, twinkling and Raelinn knew the answer.

"Games? What did you have in mind?"

"I can take off the amulet. I'm sure I can find the knowledge in the Labyrinth. It has libraries and people who will know, correct? If I go through the Labyrinth, gaining companions who will help me, reach the castle and can take it off, I get to keep my head. If I get to the center and cannot take it off, you can do what you need to take it off." Raelinn said, feeling like this was the right thing to say, but hating saying it.

"That's a lot you're putting on your own plate. You have to solve my Labyrinth _and_ figure out a way around the magic that keeps it from going over your head," Majeel was smiling with pleasure. He enjoyed seeing her squirm. He enjoyed looking at her and her hazel eyes. And he _really_ enjoyed her trying to flatter him by calling him "Your Majesty". "But I like this idea. Just as long as I can," He took a step closer to her, bending slightly and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look up at him, "Chase you."

Raelinn's heart was racing. _What does chase mean?_ She had images of wild animals chasing her and nipping at her heels, but banished the thought. She wanted to be strong and not faint in front of him. She could tell he was more than enjoying himself. "Chase? Well, that's a lot going against me. That's why I said I will gain companions who can show me the way through the Labyrinth and who can help me beat the odds."

Majeel let go of her and stood up straight. "You put a lot of trust in the inhabitants of the Labyrinth. I hope you find companions who will help you, for your sake. Since I became king, I altered the Labyrinth. It is longer and more wild than before. I will give you considerable time. I want you to become enthralled with my Labyrinth and not want to ever leave. I want you to fall in love with my magic. I want your knees to buckle when you see me," Majeel said looking intently at her and smiling his sharp toothed smile.

Just to spite him, Raelinn did her best to stop shaking from her near death experience that turned into a game with her life on the line.

"But I accept! You, Raelinn, have one month to solve the Labyrinth, find companions who will help you, and look for a way to take that amulet off your neck. If you fail to take it off if you reach the castle, I will take it off for you. If you fail to solve the Labyrinth by the end of the month, you are mine to keep." Raelinn started to protest parts of the deal he proposed, but a man sized mirror had appeared with him walking into it. He snapped his fingers and the mirror folded in on itself over and over until it disappeared.

Raelinn took a deep breath to steady herself. She turned toward the Labyrinth and started walking.


	5. Chapter 5

"Well, you certainly got _his_ attention," Jareth said. Raelinn spun around.

"And _where_ were you?! I had to fend for myself back there! I almost got killed!" Raelinn balled her hands into fists.

Jareth just waved her worries away, "Nonsense. I would have helped if I saw you foolishly hitting rock bottom. I knew you would know what to do. It's in your blood to understand how to fix things. You barely even blinked when you followed me here."

"And I feel so stupid for even trusting you! I haven't even been here an hour and who do I meet? The guy who murdered you! I didn't want to get mixed up in ghost business, but I just thought I'd be a messenger or something. Like," Raelinn was stomping her way to the Labyrinth walls at this point, "going up to your son and saying, 'Hello, your father is haunting my apartment. He's sorry he didn't say 'I love you'. Please accept my message so he can rest in peace and stop haunting me. But no. Had to meet your murderer and get whisked away to Fairytale land." Sigh. _I need to wake up_. "How do I get in?"

Jareth was walking a step behind her the whole way. He was only half listening to her. His mind were on other things. He needed to go through with his plan. "We're going to walk around to the east on the outskirts." He said.

"Also, what did you mean 'it's in my blood'? Is this about my grandmother being a changeling again? She couldn't have been. I'd know if she were different," Raelinn started following Jareth as he purposely walked along the outskirts of the Labyrinth.

"Yes, your grandfather's second wife was not. But his first wife was. She married, had a child, and then disappeared. Or rather, she ran away. She was a fae, like me and returned to the Underground and all its lands. I don't think she's living anymore though," Jareth added the end, seeing the look on Raelinn's face. Raelinn did remember that story from doing genealogy. But it was a small detail to everyone because everyone loved Grandpa's second wife, Grandma Rosie.

"Oh," Raelinn didn't know what to say. She normally would not have believed it, but here she was. In the Underground. And as much as she wished to wake up, she was getting a feeling in her heart that she was woken up a few days ago. "I need to find someone who can also help me not be caught when King Majeel tries chasing me down to stop me. You can help me go through the Labyrinth though correct?"

Jareth nodded. This was taking too long. "Come on woman. Can't you run?" He was way ahead of her at this point.

"Yes, yes. I run a couple times a week. I hate it though," Raelinn stated and started jogging. Anything to quickly get this over with. She did _not_ plan to stay for a month.

"Then why run?"

"I like to eat."

Not fully understanding what she meant, Jareth continued on. After a minute, he stopped and turned around to glare at her. "Faster!" He said.

"You know, you're pretty damn bossy for someone who needs my help so desperately. Can't you do better than to boss me around and actually give me tips to help me?" Raelinn caught up with him. Her temper was rising and she was getting _very_ tired of Jareth.

His temper became hot instantly. He walked up to Raelinn and pushed her so she fell against the wall. He bent to look her straight in the eyes, "You agreed to this the moment you accepted the magic in you and the moment you didn't banish me. You could have said no, but you didn't. You accepted my story, my magic, and you brought yourself here. Do you know how much is at stake here? You could be dead, your whole world could be dead! You can start being more than a whiney girl and become a woman for once you pathetic child!" His eyes were furious. Raelinn could feel the threat of angry tears, but she did not let them fall. Instead, she gathered up her strength and pushed Jareth back off of her.

"Clear out! I'm tired of being pushed around. You're right, I could be dead. So you better start being useful too unless you want me dead. And you're right, I do know how to fix things. I know exactly what to do to fix this situation between me and you, you old man," Raelinn pointed her finger at him while she spoke. She was shaking again. _I've never gotten so mad I pushed someone!,_ she thought.

Jareth recovered from being pushed. It was a strange sensation to feel; she had to have really concentrated to be able to touch him. He felt some admiration and let it show on his face. _Perfect,_ he thought, _I was beginning to worry that she ended up being some weak girl._ He nodded his head in approval. She definitely knew how to fix the tension between them.

About 20 yards away, a herd of animals were grazing nearby. They looked like camels, their sandy fur blending in the beige ground. The wind picked up throwing sand and dirt in Raelinn's eyes. She wished she were near the field of flowers. This new area of the outskirts of the Labyrinth seemed to stretch far out into the land. She gently walked toward the camels, noticing that they had longer torsos and three to four humps.

"Can I ride them?" She asked as she walked past him to get closer to the camels.

"Ask nicely and they might," Jareth replied. Raelinn did a double take of looking back at Jareth in disbelief. He was serious.

"Um, excuse me. I need help traveling. I'm too slow. Would you be able to help me?" Raelinn asked as the camel pulled at tall purple grasses sprouting here and there. The camel lifted its head to look at her. Then it's large gentle eyes caught the sight of Jareth and nuzzled its nose to his chest. It sat down, allowing Raelinn to get on to ride. Jareth stroked the camel's head and kissed it. Then he went around to sit behind Raelinn, a small hump between them. Raelinn noticed his attitude, but didn't say anything about it. "Thank you so much," She said to the camel.

"Continue east along the wall," Jareth instructed the camel. _It can hear and see him,_ Raelinn glance behind her. _I'm not even going to question it. Animals can sometimes see things others can't. I'll ask about it maybe another time._ Raelinn had another question burning on her tongue.

"You speak English," She said.

"What?"

"You speak English. How can you and Majeel speak English?"

"No, you're speaking Fae. Normally, humans who travel the Labryrinth are given a ring to wear that translates the languages. A phenomenal piece of Underground technology. But you have strong fae blood so you don't need it. It comes naturally. So naturally you didn't notice. Sarah was the same. She had strong fae in her also," He said no more about his late wife.

Their ride was jogging along the outer wall going much faster than Raelinn was going. Ten minutes past. Twenty minutes. Raelinn rested her forehead against the strong neck of the camel, her eyes half closed to shield them from the sand that occasionally blew over her face. After forty mintues, Jareth told the camel to stop and jumped off. Raelinn followed. Jareth walked up to the wall while Raelinn petted the camel and stretched her neck. Jareth was feeling for something on the wall. He eventually found it and pushed on a brick. When he did, part of the wall floated back and slid aside slowing stairs that led down to a dark tunnel. Raelinn asked if this was the way into the Labyrinth. Jareth turned around and smiled, "You need a companion who will protect you, don't you? I can only do so much. Hold onto me so you don't get lost."

Raelinn grabbed Jareth's arm as he descended the stairs. He went slow at first so she would get her bearings together, but started to speed up. Raelinn couldn't see a thing. She kept taking steps down hoping that she wouldn't lose her footing and fall off in case this invisible staircase was floating in the air. As they went further down, a faint light appeared at the bottom. The closer they got to the light, the more she could see the staircase. But the space around them was still pitch black, as if the stairs were floating in space. The light turned into a hallway light by lamps jutting out of the wall. _They're like electric lights, but not plugged in anywhere,_ Raelinn thought.

At the end of the hallway was a door. As Raelinn looked at the door, she saw a circle of light floating in front of it. It had strange symbols written around it that were constantly changing and revolving. "It's a spell. It would take me months to figure out how to unlock it. One wrong step and it kills instantly. You know how to fix it?" Jareth said. He looked at her, his eyes calculating.

"Maybe? I don't want to mess up," She replied, wiping her sweaty palms on her… _pjs. I'm wearing yoga pants and some old boho shirt. I look woooonderful._

"You know how to fix things. Just don't mess up, it'll kill you."

"Ah, but no pressure," Raelinn was ready to turn around and leave, but she couldn't take her eyes off the floating, glowing circle. She could see clearly how to solve it. The symbols jumped out at her and she couldn't resist. She _had_ to solve it. She _had_ to fix it so that whoever was behind the door could come out and help her. She smiled and touched the symbols that jumped out at her. As she pushed them, the circle glowed brighter and buzzed. The buzzing noise turned into a loud rumbling noise and it looked like it was going to strike out a killing beam. Raelinn kept going on as if she couldn't see it, the minutes ticking by. Jareth was getting nervous. The noise became louder and the circle kept shaking and getting bigger. He was about to grab Raelinn to get her out of the way as the circle grew sharp spikes on the edges, when suddenly it stopped shaking. The noise stopped. The circle started to melt until there was nothing left. Jareth let out breath that he didn't realize he was holding. Raelinn was able to read the plaque next to the locked door.

SERAPHIM

AWAITING TRIAL FOR MURDERING KING JARETH

SUFFERING FROM MADNESS

"You want to know what doesn't make me feel any better?" Raelinn asked.

"That's a lie, Raelinn. This is fake to give an excuse for killing him. I know who murdered me," Jareth said and walked past her. He was able to touch the bolt long enough to unlock it. But he couldn't do more than that. He couldn't feel the pain, but he felt weakened by the touch of the iron. "I can't go in, I'll fade. It's made of iron," He explained and back quickly away from the door.

"Are you ok?" Raelinn asked.

"Yes, yes. I need to stay away from the prison. Go get Seraphim. He'll be the best protection you can have. Don't let him get past you without explaining yourself." Jareth said, breathing heavy because of concentration, not pain.

Raelinn did not like being bossed around again, but she knew that Jareth wouldn't risk coming down here without a good reason. She walked up to the door and opened it. There was one more door inside, a barred door just like in prisons. She peered in and saw that the room was huge and looked like a cave. She saw the back of a man sitting down on a rock. He was sharpening a huge sword with a crude rock and singing softly to himself. He didn't turn around. Raelinn tried to get his attention. She cleared her throat.

"Go away. I'm busy getting ready." The man said. His voice was very deep and calm. He continued singing softly.

"Um, I'm here on behalf of your father," Raelinn said weakly.

The man stopped everything he was doing. His hair was long and platinum ashy blonde. It almost reached his waist. But that's all Raelinn could see. She squinted trying to get a better look. Her wish was granted when Seraphim stood up and walked toward Raelinn. He was tall, taller than his father. His shoulders were broad. His face was angular and hauntingly beautiful. He had thin lips like his father, but his mouth was wider. His eyes were brilliantly green and sleek looking, almost Asian like. He leaned against the door, his hands gripping the bars. His voice was still calm, but threatening. In his deep voice he asked, "And where is my father?"


	6. Chapter 6

Seraphim took his hands off the bars a few seconds later, watching his fingers as he flexed them.

"Doesn't that hurt you?" Raelinn asked.

"Not particularly. It gives me a splitting headache, but it doesn't hurt like other Fae. I have human blood too," His pupils dilated at the word "blood" and he looked her. "You didn't answer my question."

Raelinn took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. Your father….he um…he-" Raelinn began. Seraphim understood why she hesitated. He backed away and turned his back to her.

"Is he dead?" He asked softly.

"Yes," Raelinn whispered. Her whisper echoed in the cave he was standing in. She saw he needed a minute. She leaned against the frame and fiddled with the lock. She remembered that Jareth said to explain herself before letting him go. She also remembered that Jareth conveniently ignored her the whole way here as she tugged at the amulet around her neck and looked at him intently as if to say, "Care to explain?". She knew he wasn't going to tell her. She couldn't concentrate on her home, the memories were fuzzy. She saw the problem in that and knew the answer; if she got the amulet off, she could find a way back home. Jareth needed her help and won't allow her to leave. Seraphim though, might know how to get it off. She was lost in her thoughts when Seraphim, after grieving for a few minutes turned his grief into anger.

He looked up at the ceiling of the cave, the rocks casting an insanely bright light down on him. He screamed with fury, an inhuman animalistic sound. "My family! My family is gone! I have no one! I will avenge my family! I will kill Majeel!" Seraphim yelled. He took his sword and stuck it into the grey sand underneath his feet. He kneeled and looked so worn in his tattered black clothes, Raelinn wanted to comfort him by saying, "No, your father is right here!" But it was useless. Seraphim couldn't see his ghost image father like she could. She sighed. It just wasn't fair.

"Who are you?" Seraphim asked Raelinn. He got up, put the sword in a homemade opening in his pants and walked to the door again. "How did you get here?" His voice was calm again and he looked down at her.

Raelinn explained herself. She explained how his father showed up ("Really? He cast a spell to project a ghost image of himself to you?" Seraphim noted with a bit of admiration and suspicion in his eyes) , how she got to the Labyrinth, her fae blood, how she met Majeel, how she needs help escaping him, and how she knows there's a spell on the amulet that she has to get off before Majeel does that for her. She felt like she needed to do something else…..oh yes, she suddenly remembered. She needs to go home. _How could I forget that I don't belong here?_

"I need your help. I need to know how to take this off and when I free you, you should be able to beat Majeel and take over as king," Raelinn said. Seraphim shrugged.

"My father may have been wise in trusting your fae race and your ability to solve problems, but it's not that easy. You were lucky to not have a scratch on you from your encounter with Majeel. I can try and protect you from Majeel and I do know how to get the amulet off you, but you're not going to like it," Seraphim said. Raelinn just sighed and waited. She looked behind her to see that Jareth was mysteriously gone. Seraphim continued on, "The fake amulet will lock around someone's neck or wrist or wherever if someone other than my father tries to put it on. It's a trap. Then he'll know who is a betrayer, it becomes obvious after a while even if they try to hide it. The only way for it to be unlocked so for him to take off his gloves and touch the amulet. Then it falls right off." _How is it obvious?_ Raelinn wondered. Then she thought of something else.

Raelinn, horrified, took a step back. "Your father is…..gone though."

"Doesn't matter. You just need his bare finger to touch the amulet," Seraphim said.

"We can't go digging up graves! That's _horrible_. I don't want…..are you sure?" Raelinn asked, but knew the answer to the problem. Yes, that was the answer. Raelinn shivered, thinking of Jareth's dead fingers prying the amulet off her.

"Yes. You'll want that amulet off as soon as possible. It dulls your important memories. Now please let me out. We don't have much time. This whole prison is a trap for anyone trying to free me. There's dark magic working here. It speeds up time and ages you. I've aged 100 years already. If that seal," He pointed ahead to where the floating circle was, "is broken then the time goes by faster on the next hour. "I can age a considerable amount and still be fine, but it will age us a thousand years. We can't last that long."

Raelinn knew it was too easy to simply walk down in the prison. She sprang into action, "How do I know I can trust that you will help me?" She asked as she worked the lock with the key that was hanging a few feet from the door. It was there to shove Seraphim's uselessness in his face. It couldn't be lifted with magic, just by hand.

"You don't. As a matter of fact, it'd be best if you didn't trust me," He said in a low voice. She looked up at him as the door opened. Seraphim stepped out. He looked and seemed young, but older at the same time. His face was young, angelic almost. But his eyes and demeanor said that he's seen too much. He cautiously stepped forward into the hallway, crutching low. Raelinn followed, mimicking him. He was build solid and obviously worked out a lot in his time in prison. His breathing was quick and shallow. Raelinn, not really knowing why she whispered asked if he was alright. "They don't feed me regularly. I have….diet restrictions that don't help," He explained.

They crept through the hallway. The only sound it made was the echoing of their footsteps. They picked up speed. Just when they were halfway through, the high ceiling above _clicked_ and started very rapidly coming down on them. Seraphim grabbed Raelinn's arm and ran, dragging her behind him. He ran so fast, her feet lifted up off the ground as she was pulled down the hallway. They reached the stairs and Seraphim abruptly stopped. Raelinn kept moving forward and Seraphim put his other arm out to stop her. Her gut hit his arm and she fell back with an "Ommph!" She rubbed her stomach; his arm was like a metal pole.

She caught her breath and stood up, still rubbing her stomach. "Are you alright?" Seraphim asked. As he asked he looked at her stomach, as if he were studying her. "Yes, you're just sore. I apologize," He said still staring as though he could see inside her.

"Uhhhhh?"

"I'm a doctor. I've studied medicine and health for years." He explained and looked up at the stairs. He let her go ahead of him to climb the stairs.

"You're pretty spry for an old guy, since the magic aged you. I mean, you're like 128 or something?" Raelinn said, sore and wincing as she also walked up the steps. As much as her stomach hurt, she was spooked. She wanted out as soon as possible.

"160. Adrenaline rush. I hope it lasts until we reach the surface." He said behind her.

"Oh, yes, of course. Why not?" Raelinn said. There was no need to even try and understand the logic. As they ascended, the stairs started to disappear again just as Raelinn feared. The light from the tunnel was not bright enough to light the whole flight of stairs. Her footing became unsure as she felt for the stairs, hoping she doesn't fall off.

Then a light turned on. No, not a light, a glowing eye. A glowing eye to her left opened its lid and looked straight at them. "Keep going," Seraphim said.

Raelinn tried to concentrate on the invisible stairs. Another eye slowly opened. This one was to her right. Another eye. Another. Raelinn could see the stairs now, but it didn't help her feel at ease. She tried to focus on the stairs and kept going, but was stopped short when she saw a flood of blood running down the stairs. Raelinn gasped and covered her mouth. The blood ran down past her, covering her flats in warm stickiness…..

"Raelinn whatever you see, it's not real. It's not real, this is part of the prison. Keep going," Seraphim tried to reassure her, his voice deep and calm.

His voice helped bring her back. She looked up toward the light of the outside world and kept going. She could feel and hear the squishing of the blood. The eyes kept moving in the space around them, whispering: " _She looks scared! Let us eat her! Let us feast! We want to hear her bones crunch, we want to hear her scream!"_

Raelinn was panicking. Seraphim behind her was having some struggle of his own. He was breathing heavy now and put his hand to his forehead, showing stress. He closed his eyes, but continued to walk. His hair tumbled around his face and he was beginning to sweat. The prison was meant to be harder on him, and harder it was. He started shaking. The prison was trying to drive him mad. Mad enough he would kill his rescuer or jump of the stairs. But he fought it. Raelinn sped up. Closer to the doorway, closer. Finally, they reached the top. They were out of the prison. They put as much distance between them and the prison and collapsed on the dry dusty earth.

The camel had been waiting for Raelinn. She (as far as Raelinn could tell) came over to nuzzle Raelinn around the neck. Raelinn petted her. "Thank you for waiting," Raelinn said. She turned to Seraphim, "Thank you for helping me get past…" Raelinn stopped when she saw Seraphim's state.

He was struggling to get the prison out of his mind. It's magic was slowly leaving his mind, but he felt like he was losing control. He felt the change within him. His eyes turned from green to glowing white, his body seemed to be surrounded by a dark faint fire, and his teeth….his teeth elongated into razor sharp points. "They did more than imprison me," He said as he laid on his side clutching his sides. "I have a disease. I told you it wouldn't be so easy. I need help getting rid of it. This," He was panting, trying to focus, "is a curse. As much as I want you to trust me, I fear you mustn't."

Raelinn dragged herself away from Seraphim. Her eyes were wide as she took in what he was. "I-I-I- don't know what to do…." She whispered. What was the answer? What is the solution? Raelinn couldn't think straight. She was scared and having a hard time believing what she was seeing.

Seraphim, ashamed, and finally gaining control. His eyes and teeth returned to normal. "Raelinn, you…..I….."He stopped and tried again. "I don't want to kill you."


	7. Chapter 7

Hi everyone! This is the moment you all have been waiting for! Sorry it's so short!

Majeel was working in the library, bend over the ancient wooden table. Ramerra had left and Majeel was alone which suited him fine. Well, it kind of suited him. He wound up gears on the little machine in front of him. It was the shape of a scorpion and inside it housed dark magic that will unleash at the right moment. He sat back, admiring the gold metallic surface. A scorpion is not the only shape his machines took. Some were snakes, some were beetles, some were spiders, some flew in the air as birds or moths, and some even took on the shape of frogs. They were all the same size though, no bigger than a dinner plate.

When Majeel opens the gateway between the Underground and Aboveground, he would release thousands upon thousands of these into the Aboveground. Then his father, nicknamed the King of Nightmares, would have his dream continue. All those who were oppressed and lost their lands and freedom in the Underground who find refuge in the Aboveground. Those like Majeel's father and his beautiful nightmare subjects, who were banished to a deserted corner because no one wants them. Majeel grinded his teeth as he thought of the anger he felt. It wasn't fair. But he would make it right.

Majeel thought about the girl, Raelinn, and how he could have just taken the amulet. He was sure that Jareth cursed the amulet to stay on her so she couldn't lose it, but she must have accidentally found a way to travel to the Labyrinth. The _Labyrinth_ of all places! She could have transported back to his father's lands, but no, _here_ is where she ended up. What luck! Majeel liked the girl. She obviously had fresh nightmares. Nightmares that he didn't know humans had. She would have lots of ideas. She would look at him and say, "Your Majesty" and then tell him all the ideas she had. He closed his eyes and smiled, liking this fantasy. _How easy would it be to corrupt her?_ He wondered. _I hope it's hard. I like a challenge!_ Majeel chuckled.

"Your Highness! Your Highness!" A goblin ran into the room, bowed hurriedly and continued, "The kitchens!"

"What?!"

"The kitchens are on fire! It's huge!" The goblin replied. Majeel rolled his eyes and followed the goblin out.

Seraphim was appalled. He almost said, "Raelinn, you are trapped," but stopped himself. He knew that _would not_ go over well. He felt like there was a beast trying to come out; its bloodlust was strong. If he said that and she ran, he knew he would have given chase. He could barely control it before he was imprisoned. He even attack his own father and bit him. It wasn't enough to kill, but he knew he had been infected. If he was honest with himself, he was secretly glad to be imprisoned. While he was there, he worked on his newfound perks he discovered. He was able to project his consciousness out and spy on the mages coming down the stairs that check on him, although it left him feeling confused about where he was afterwards. He had heightened senses and was able to run faster than he ever had. He was able to heal faster and found a way to preserve his heart outside of his body( a project he had been working on, but was only successful after the infection). He put his hand up to his chest, feeling his heart beating wildly. Oh, and he had a thirst for blood like he was some beast. A catch he didn't like.

"So you're a vampire," Raelinn said. She was breathing deeply to try to remain calm. _Calm, calm, calm…_ she chanted in her head. She was petting the camel's head to do something with her hands. They were shaking. Seraphim frowned. He didn't like seeing her shake. He didn't want anyone (except for a select few) to be that afraid of him.

"I won't hurt you," He said and stood up, "You freed me and I owe you. I will protect you from Majeel so you can get the amulet off and go home. I know the fake amulet messes with the mind, otherwise you would have left for home right about now. Although," He titled his head ( _Ugh, just like his father_ , Raelinn thought) and evenly said, "You were able to break the spell that trapped _me_. Maybe you don't need my protection." He smiled.

"She most _certainly_ does," a voice said from behind the camel.

Jareth walked out into view. Into view of both Raelinn and Seraphim. Seraphim blinked and stood up taller despite his being taken back. Raelinn just rolled her eyes, her fear ebbing away. She was feeling odd; she was accepting the madness of this place. This was her home…..No, no. _I should still be scared. Why are some things not bothering me so much?_ She also stood up and brushed off some dirt. Raelinn kept walking along the wall of the Labyrinth looking for the door. _I have to get the amulet off. I feel like I'm going looney,_ she thought to herself. She didn't notice that Seraphim also saw Jareth.

"Father, what are you doing here?" Seraphim asked. Raelinn spun around. She looked back and forth from Seraphim and Jareth.

"I thought you said no one can see you!"

"I did?" Jareth asked, faking puzzlement. "I lied. I wanted to make sure you don't tell Majeel about me. By the way, I just spied on him. It's a good thing he neglects Labyrinth challengers. He would have seen your whole rescue. I even created a distraction so he'll be busy for a while. You're _welcome._ "

Seraphim knocked on the wall of the Labyrinth. A part of the wall swung open like a door leading to the inside of the Labyrinth. He motioned to Raelinn to walk inside, all while keeping his eyes locked on his father.

"You could have just told me not to say anything. I wouldn't have anyways! What else have you lied about?" Raelinn walked backwards to glare at Jareth. She had her hand on the camel's neck as it followed her into the Labyrinth.

"Good question! Let's talk about it when we get the amulet off you. We need to look for something else. I had a plan, but it seems to be backfiring a bit," Jareth followed them in. He looked confident and aloof. His eyes were glazed over.

"Where is this going?" Seraphim asked. "There's something you're not telling us. What's the use of closing the portal if you're dead? You didn't care too much about the Aboveground. Why bring her here to free me? You seem to be able to walk around and touch things just fine for a dead man." Seraphim narrowed his eyes. He sensed something was off the moment he saw his father. He was happy to see him, but didn't allow himself to show it when he saw the way his father was acting. He felt like Jareth was playing a game of human chess with Raelinn. A game Seraphim played against him all the time. A game that his father cheated in any way to win.

"Where are we?" Jareth asked, truly puzzled this time. Seraphim and Raelinn felt that something was wrong. Jareth should know exactly where in the Labyrinth they are. He looked sideways to at them, his arms clasped behind him. He raised his chin in proud defiance. "I know where we are. We are in the east hedge maze. There should be a fountain over there," he pointed to the left.

Seraphim corrected his father by pointing to the right. "Explain yourself. You're not dead are you." It wasn't a question. Silence. Jareth kept up his proud act.

Jareth cleared his throat. "No."


	8. Chapter 8

Hope you like it!

Jareth began. "After you bit me and I showed no signs of infection, we just left it alone. We had other matters to attend to. But then I started noticing signs that hinted that I had the infection. I acted like I was fine, but I knew I was infected when I became uncontrollable and found myself drinking the stable girl's blood. I saw I was able to do other things I wouldn't normally be able to do. I was able to project my mind out to watch others in my castle (that stable girl is fine by the way, so don't look at me like that Raelinn). It always gave me a headache afterwards, but I was doing fine. Then I found your notebook you had hidden away with your notes of preserving your heart outside your body. I knew that I could hide my heart and come back if Majeel kills me. So I followed your instructions on how to preserve my heart. But then my memory gets tricky after that. I know I planned to free you from prison, but I don't know when. I found myself in a limbo state after Majeel ripped out a fake heart I put in after I hid my heart. It still hurt, the fake heart being pulled out. I had to purposely heal slowly so I don't attract Majeel's attention," Jareth stopped and looked thoughtful.

"What about me? Where do I come in?" Raelinn asked.

"I didn't want Majeel gaining access to the gateway. I wanted an advantage over him. So I put the gateway in an object that can be moved around and away from him. I could use my weak link to the Labyrinth to go to the Aboveground if I threw my consciousness to access the portal. I remember that. It's interesting. I had a plan, but I didn't realize that my body would be too weak to free myself from the coffin so I-"

Seraphim interrupted. "A pawn. She's just a pawn so you can manipulate her to gain an advantage over Majeel," He said calmly and quietly. But he was not happy. "That's low. Even for you." He glanced at Raelinn and wished he didn't.

Raelinn had a dead look in her eye. She felt defeated. Tears were threatening to fall. She didn't want them to fall. Not in front of Seraphim and not in front of Jareth. They pooled in her eyes.

"You lied about being dead….I followed you thinking I could help," She said.

Jareth looked away. "I'm not proud of that. I got desperate. I needed you to follow me back to the Labyrinth. I couldn't last much longer in the Aboveground, which is why only you could see me there. I found a way to beat death, beat Majeel, rescue you, and find a way to bring your mother back." He said to Seraphim. The tears were falling down Raelinn's face. She looked away and buried her face in the camel's neck. The camel went from chewing the leaves on the hedge maze to sniffing Raelinn, sensing her distress.

"My mother is gone. This curse won't heal her and bring her back! Her human heart was weak inside her fae body. I should know, examined the body. So what now? Where is your heart? You think you have an advantage with using Raelinn, but now she's in the hands of Majeel. He could still use her once he figures out the amulet is fake. You put it on her to trap her here and use her, but you might as well put a death sentence around her neck. He could use her to solve his problems. Pretty soon she'll know the cure to this disease and he'll use her to kill us both once and for all. He has two kingdoms that are on his side. Soon, he'll have more. Now that I'm out, I have to find a cure fast before I do something drastic. I was supposed to be put on trial for murdering you because 'I'm mad'. If anyone finds out what is going on with me, they'll be against us. Never mind the fact that it looks like you abandoned your kingdom to play dead. Sounds like your plan isn't working so well. I know that projecting yourself confuses the mind. Didn't you read my all notes?" Seraphim had walked up to his father to intimidate him and make him feel bad. He voice was even, but condescending.

He enjoyed it. His father was acting like a desperate…. _human._ Seraphim loved his mother dearly, but her human side was a great strength and weakness. It seemed that the weak part rubbed off on his father.

"I need her back!" Jareth said, referring to Sarah.

Seraphim shook his head, his eyes closed. Raelinn had gathered herself together by the time Seraphim was done talking, she was walking ahead of them and through the hedge maze. Her thoughts were quiet as she numbly formed a plan. The way to solve this mess was to focus on…was to focus on….. _home, I need to get home_ , she growled in frustration in forgetting her most important memories. She looked up at the sky. The sun was low and pale yellow. Soon evening would come. Seraphim followed her, knowing that his father would follow behind. Jareth's face was a mask.

"I'm guessing that you don't know where your heart is," Seraphim said.

"Correct. But I have all faith that Raelinn will be able to help," Jareth smiled, all charms.

Seraphim looked behind him. "You're making it worse-"

Raelinn turned around and looking past Seraphim, she was frightfully mad. "I am _not_ your pawn! I was tricked into coming here, now I'm trapped here, and now we find out that you messed things up as well. I'm going to get this amulet off me and I'm going _home_. I am going to punch you before I leave too! I'm going home. I….can't remember things as well as I used to anymore. Like what my address is or who Helen is. It's all your bloody fault!" Raelinn knew that if she hadn't trusted Jareth's story so much, she might not be here. But it was easier to blame it all on him. _I like her spark,_ Seraphim thought.

Raelinn had been leading the way, weaving in and out of the maze. Seraphim grinned at his father and walked ahead of Raelinn. "Please allow me to help you. If you follow me, we can reach Magpie's cabin before nightfall. In the morning, we will head out. I don't want you here in the Labyrinth either." He said.

He got the feeling that was the wrong thing to say. He saw her flinch as if what he said hurt her physically. "Ok" was all she said. She was so upset, she didn't trust herself to speak any more in fear that she'll start screaming and attracting attention.

The hedges were a good 3 meters taller than Seraphim, the tallest of the group, and thick with green leaves. The ground was black earth. Little creatures scurried under the hedge bushes whenever Seraphim and Raelinn got near. Seraphim looked back to gloat at his father for being yelled at, but Jareth had vanished with a smile. A lizard with black skin and orange glow in the dark eyes darted past them after it stopped in the middle of the path to stare at them. Raelinn was calming down from fuming earlier. She didn't have much energy and she was starving.

Seraphim walked in silence. He didn't know what to say to make the situation better. He definitely liked Raelinn yelling at his father. But once his father left, Seraphim didn't know what else to say. So he said nothing and kept walking. He knew that Magpie would have food for them. Although Seraphim would have to sneak out and found an animal nearby to feed. He was getting _hungry._ He glanced at Raelinn. She needed to rest. Her eyes were half open and he could hear her stomach growling.

"Would you like for me to carry you?" Seraphim asked.

"What? Oh, no thank you." Raelinn looked at the ground.

An awkward silence passed. Then, Seraphim announced they were there. The maze led them to an opening. A modest house sat surrounded by weeds and unruly tall grass and….. _Magpie never neglected her garden_ , thought Seraphim. He lowered his brows in confusion. Raelinn saw this and made sure to stay a few steps behind as Seraphim cautiously walked to the front door. The cottage was quaint, with its straw roof and rock walls. The walkway to the front door was overrun with weeds. The bird feeders surrounding the house were needing repairs.

"Magpie?" Seraphim called as he knocked on the door. "Magpie?" He opened the door that was usually locked. The house was covered in black feathers. The small sitting area was a mess. The lights that were being lit by some stone underneath flickered. Raelinn gasped. A black mass was huddled in the corner of the sitting room. Seraphim drew his sword. The black mass shifted and drew up to its full height. It was as tall as a four year old. It ruffled its feathers and let out a cry. It spoke.

"My prince! My prince! It's me, Magpie!" Magpie fanned out her wings. The white stripe around her body was dirty with soot and dust.

"Magpie? You…..are a bird," Seraphim sheathed his weapon. "How did this happen?"

"Magpies _are_ birds," Raelinn whispered fiercely.

"Don't be ridiculous. There's only one Magpie and she was a person last time I saw her," Seraphim said. He was calmly staring at Magpie, waiting for her to answer.

"My prince, the new king's power changed me. Some of us changed. Especially those of us who showed loyalty to you and your father. Can you change me back, my prince?" Magpie's beady eyes looked up at Seraphim.

"I'm not sure, Magpie. Majeel's link to the Labyrinth has the power to change the Labyrinth to suit the new king. But I am a doctor. I will see if I can find a way," Seraphim smiled at Magpie.

 _Doctor and mad scientist are two different things,_ Raelinn thought. _Eh, maybe it's the same thing here._ Magpie was happy despite Seraphim's grim news. She squawked and fanned her feathers.

"Please eat, my prince! I will feed you and your maid. I have pie and meat that has been in the cold box," Magpie said hopping about on her skinny bird feet.

"I'm not his maid!"

Seraphim looked back at her and grinned. They followed Magpie into the kitchen. Seraphim helped himself and Raelinn grabbed two plates herself.

"I know it's not proper for Raelinn and I to sleep in the same room, but may we sleep on the extra beds in-"Seraphim stopped when he looked to see Magpie sleeping perched on a kitchen counter. Raelinn smiled and finished eating. She looked around her. The tiny, cozy yellow kitchen had pots and pans everywhere. She could see more birdhouses hanging from the overhanging roof through the little window. Raelinn thought about what she saw earlier. She had felt a bit safer with a third person, even if it was Jareth, but now it was just her and Seraphim again. And he was a demon.

"Are you going to…..are you…are you safe?" Raelinn blurted out.

Seraphim put his crude fork down and wiped his face with a napkin. He looked at her. His beautiful face was even more serious than it usually was. He stood up and walked to her. He bend down on one knee ( _EEEEEEEEEEEEEE?_ Thought Raelinn) and said, "Raelinn, I Prince Seraphim, son of King Jareth, vow to never hurt you and to grant you safe passage through the Labyrinth and safety from Majeel." He stood up. "Happy now?" Raelinn nodded. He thought a moment. "You are not my subject and I may not technically be prince anymore, but I still have rank as Commander in the Labyrinth Army. So I order you this: if you feel threatened by me, if I am going to harm you, take this sword, cut off my head and puncture my heart. I have not hidden away my heart. It's still right here." Raelinn's eye widen. She saw how serious he was.

"I-I-I can't do that," Raelinn said.

"It's an order! Do not allow me to bring myself low and give in to the demon beast infecting me." _I cannot live like some lowly scum of the Underground!_ Seraphim thought.

"Will that kill you?"

"Probably not, the vampiric disease makes the body able to heal from any wound. It'll slow me down considerably though. I believe that it will take over a thousand years for my body to actually die, despite people believing that they'll live forever. I studied a few bodies that were infected. Nasty business," He said.

"Is that how you got infected?"

"No, there was a raid at a ball my family and I attended. A vampire purposefully sought me out." He didn't say anymore on the subject. He looked at Raelinn to see if she felt better. He was getting annoyed that he cared what some woman thought of him. She looked less tense and he could hear her heartbeat slowing down.

They settled down for the night. Seraphim pulled out the extra beds that he knew were lying in Magpie's extra room and sat them in the sitting room after clearing out the mess. He gave a short explanation of how he knew Magpie. "She is a genius at the properties of plants and their healing properties. I was a genius at chemical reactions and how bodies worked. I asked for her cooperation in gaining more knowledge to better my education as a doctor. I spent many days studying here."

They laid down on the beds. Raelinn's bed was small, narrow, and smelled like moth balls. Seraphim's bed looked like a child's bed compared to his large stature. The blanket was too small for him, so he pulled it off and laid it on the floor instead. They laid there. Seraphim had many things to think about, including his thirst that he'll quench once Raelinn goes to sleep.

"I think I'll name her," Raelinn said suddenly.

"Who?"

"The camel."

"Oh." _Great, now I can't eat the camel._

"Lottie. I'll name her Lottie. Hopefully she likes it. It's from one of my favorite stories. The Phantom of the Opera."

"Good name."

"Her lover Raul nicknamed the main character that. I like the book more than the movie too because…." Raelinn kept talking to fill in the awkward silence she felt. Seraphim "Hmmmph"ed and "Ahhhh"ed, but found himself falling asleep. Usually this much chatter annoyed him, but her voice was soothing. A few hours later, both were asleep.

The next morning Raelinn woke up, yawned and looked up to see Majeel standing over her.


	9. Chapter 9

Jareth stared at his "dead" body in the glass coffin. He stood in the tomb of where past monarchs are "buried". Their bodies are preserved and lowered into the winding tunnels underground. He had been there a while. He was happy to see that the hole over where his heart should be was fully healed. Then he looked at the body next to him. His Sarah. His beautiful Sarah. He asked for her body to be frozen and preserved, obsessing over the idea that he could make her heart strong again. She looked perfect. She was still young in body, but her heart had been human and failed as it grew older.

Jareth leaned his forehead against the glass coffin. He wanted to open his real eyes, break the glass and give her another life. He looked back to his body. It was getting weaker. He had tried to open his real eyes, but when he did he found himself too weak to break the glass. He also hadn't fed in so long that the vampiric beast inside him was ordering him to rest and gather strength. Jareth also suspected that even though Seraphim found a way to preserve the heart far away from the body, the body still grows weak after a long time of waiting to be reunited with the heart. He looked back at Sarah. Her ivory skin still had the same blush when Jareth kissed her before her death.

A sudden noise startled Jareth and he stood up, alert. A goblin who periodically comes in to sweep the tombs had walked in. The goblin looked at Jareth and his bug eyes went wide. He dropped his broom, turned sharply around, and ran squealing down the hallway believing that he was seeing the ghost of Jareth. Jareth shook his head, knowing that later he'll have to go threatened the goblin not to tell anyone what he saw. He looked back at Sarah and lovingly stroked the side of the coffin.

"I'll bring you back. I'll bring you back and kill Majeel. I promise."

Raelinn cried out and fell out of the bed trying to get up. She collected herself and stood up.

"Ohh, hello. I-um, that is…do you need something?" Raelinn stuttered.

"What? No, "Your Majesty"? I'm the king here. You need to show proper respect Raelinn," Majeel teasingly said. He smiled, wicked and charming.

"Sure? Your Majesty, what brings you here?" Raelinn was combing her hair with her fingers to keep them busy.

"Well, you see, I'm actually rather not happy. I went early this morning to visit someone. And when I went there, he _wasn't_ there. And I was wondering if you had anything to do with breaking him out," Majeel took a step closer. He wasn't smiling anymore.

"Breaking who out?" Raelinn asked innocently.

"The prince! Seraphim," Majeel said with contempt. "I was sure I saw a glimpse of him in my mirror here." Majeel didn't add that he was angry that the Labyrinth was hesitate to show him everything that went on with Raelinn. He couldn't get more than a few seconds glimpse of her. Thankfully, he recognized the house. Magpie was a genius and well known throughout the Labyrinth.

"Oh, yes Prince Seraphim. I didn't know he was imprisoned? I met him and-" Raelinn started.

"I offered to be her companion." Seraphim had stepped into the room from the kitchen. He stared at Majeel with angry eyes. His hair was wet and he had a towel draped over his shoulders.

"Well, well. Where have you been? Off sucking some poor soul dry?" Majeel stepped back from Raelinn to turn and face Seraphim. Raelinn glanced to her right and saw Jareth hiding in a dark, small corner beside the window curtain. A chair was covering his lower half and he was using the curtain to hide the side of him. He was watching with keen interest. Raelinn quickly looked away so Majeel wouldn't notice. Seraphim and Majeel had been talking.

"Why is it that she's wearing something your father wore?" Majeel was asking.

"I've been a little preoccupied being left to rot in jail to understand why my _deceased_ father handed out his belongings," Came the reply. "By the way, you never told me whether you were going to donate your body to science. Why don't you donate your organs, starting today?" Seraphim advanced readying his sword.

Majeel smirked and took a step back, as if it were a game. "Now, now. You know I call the shots around here. Besides, you know my Inja warriors are outside with arrows positioned at you. I have business to attend to. It doesn't bother me that you found your way out of prison. In fact, I enjoy breaking strong things. Keep playing my game with the girl." Majeel looked back to her and tsked tsked. "Shame, she's pretty. But I know you'll just end up killing her," Majeel smiled. He strode confidentiality out as he smirked at the Magpie's house and the state it was in.

Thirty seconds passed in silence while Raelinn cleaned up her area. Jareth came out and stood in front of Raelinn, blocking the light that shone through the window. His pale face and arched eyebrows stood out in his dark attire. "Don't call him 'Your Majesty'" he said. Raelinn rolled her eyes and kept folding the blanket she used last night.

"Father, I need results. Don't be condescending. Where is your heart? Do you know anything about how to get rid of this curse? How are you going to kill Majeel now that I won't let you use Raelinn as bait? The man is slippery, I couldn't track him anywhere alone in the past." Seraphim said as he tried coaxing Magpie out of a closet she stuffed herself in when Majeel showed up. Raelinn smiled at Seraphim's remarks about her. She felt her cheeks getting hot.

"I'm working on that," Jareth made an irritated noise, "Bossy bossy. Just like your mother. I'm going to go search the library for a way to get rid of the disease. Then find my heart and put it back where it belongs. If I stay hidden, I can sneak up on Majeel. Since I don't have bait to get him to surrender and break ties with the other kingdoms and tell the truth of what really is happening, I'll just kill him and make it look like an accident. Then you and I will come out from prison and say we've been framed."

"There's a lot of holes in that plan and I-" Seraphim looked up to find his father gone already. "Fine."

Raelinn announced she was going outside to get Lottie ready to go. Lottie was already awake and stood up when she saw Raelinn. She stretched her neck and made affectionate growling noises. Raelinn found a brush halfway hidden in the tangle of bushes and pulled it out. She talked to Lottie while brushing her. "I need to call you something other than camel. What about Lottie?" Raelinn grabbed a bucket at the side of the house and filled it up with water from the pump to bring it back to Lottie. She saw Seraphim and Magpie talking right outside the door. He pocketed a little bag. Raelinn approached them.

They said their goodbyes and hopped up on Lottie. Magpie had tied a bag of food around Lottie's neck. Seraphim sat in front with Raelinn behind. She rested her hands on the hump separating them. "Where did you go this morning? Take a shower?" She asked.

"I needed to take a walk this morning and yes, I took a shower and tried to clean my clothes. I'm not very good at washing clothes, I'm afraid," He said. He had left the towel and his hair was already drying. Raelinn wanted to reach out and touch it, but decided not to.

"What was in the bag Magpie gave to you?"

Seraphim paused. "Calming medicine. Helps me not have a need to take walks alone in the morning."

Raelinn could guess what he meant. _He must have gone to find some animal to…..feed from,_ She thought. It wasn't a comforting thought, but she was glad for his honesty. She asked where he was taking them. He said to the woods where the Fireys live. "They're just party animals. Partying all day and night. Their heads and bodies are interchangeable. They're easy to spot. Bright red and orange creatures that sing _all day_."

Of course, hearing the sentence about interchangeable body parts made Raelinn raise her eyebrows. _What is this? Alice in Wonderland?_ She thought. And then, _….What is Alice in Wonderland?_

Seraphim had lead them through a wooded area behind the Magpie's house. The air was hot and humid. The leaves of the trees casted a yellow green light that filtered down on the ground. He was expecting to hear the singing from the Fireys soon. With his advanced hearing, he should hear them any minute now. They were a loud bunch. "Have you ever been in woods like this before?" Seraphim asked. He turned back to looked at her. Her face had confusion written all over it. _That blasted amulet. It's making her forget about her life. Why couldn't he have given her the amulet after taking off its spell?_ He turned back around and sighed. Still no singing. _Maybe they knocked themselves out. Good, we can take the road that goes around the Bog and avoid that place._

They kept on. Raelinn was lost in her thoughts. Seraphim was convincing her to try and talk about her life so she would remember. Her favorite color was blue. She was good at math. No, she's pretty sure she's not dating anyone.

"I'm not sure I have too many close friends at home," She said.

Seraphim slowed Lottie down. Something didn't feel right. There was no sign of animals, or streamers, or broken cups, or food that had been thrown, there was no sign of anyone. He closed his eyes and listened. He could hear something moving above them in the trees. Which isn't something the Fireys do. They don't often climb trees, except to prank someone. The sound came from up in the trees and climbing down behind the bushes ahead of them. A head popped out. One of the Fireys. It laughed. Seraphim shook his head and veered to the left ignoring it.

Another laugh rang out from the other side of the bush. A head with two legs attached to the bottom ran past them to the bush, almost tripping Lottie. Soon lots of various bodies ran to the bush.

"Wha-?" Raelinn asked. Seraphim ignored them and kept going. He heard the laughter become louder.

"Oh honestly. This is-"He turned and stopped talking. The Fireys had joined together to become one giant creature. Heads were everywhere. There were fix pairs of arms one on top of each other. Legs were everywhere. The furry, feathery creature shook as it laughed. The various pairs of eyes around the body glowed red. The creature fell forward and mimicking a centipede's way of running, started toward them.

"Lottie! Go! Go!" Lottie took one look at the creature and took off. "Is this normal for them?" Raelinn asked.

"No. It must be Majeel. His influence over the Labyrinth's magic is changing the inhabitants." Was all Seraphim said.

The Fireys kept laughing. Their laughter was echoed and they sounded demented. She leaned forward, her head brushing against Seraphim's back. The creature was gaining speed on them. The arms reached out to grab Raelinn. She yelled in surprise and leaned forward to grab Seraphim's sword at his side. She pulled it out and swung wildly at the arms.

"Careful with that!" Seraphim said. He navigated toward the wall separating the Bog from the forest. He didn't want to, but he would have to take them a trap door that led to the Bog. He grabbed an apple from the bag around Lottie's neck. He held it up, hoping that when he throws the apple, it hits the right spot for the door to open. Raelinn swung the heavy sword, barely bringing it up. But it found a mark and cut one of the arms. The weight of the sword did the work and caused the creature to momentarily slow down, screaming in pain. Seraphim saw the opportunity and threw the apple. It hit the spot. A door quickly opened and Seraphim rushed Lottie, knowing the door stays open for about 5 seconds. The moment Lottie ran in the door closed. The impact of the Firey creature caused dust to fall from the wall.

On the other side, Seraphim dismounted Lottie. Lottie was panting, hot from the running. Raelinn slid off Lottie covering her nose. "Uuugghhh, what _is_ that smell?"

Seraphim rubbed his head. "Welcome to the Bog of Eternal Stench, love".

OK! I'm working on it! I'm trying to publish a chapter every week, but don't be mad if it's not every week! The next few chapters have more Jareth AND soon another character we're all familiar with!


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